Child Sexual AbusePsychological Disturbances in The Abused

Violence is not used in child sexual abuse, therefore signs of physical injuries are usually not found. But sexually abused child is emotionally and psychologically shattered for life in more than one way.

The extent and types of psycho social disturbance varies with each child; child’s age at the time of sexual abuse and her/his relationship to perpetrator, and abusive events’ frequency, duration, severity and invasiveness.

Younger the child more terrified he/she gets by the sex-act and implied threats. Severity of threats perceived deepens the psychological impact on the child.

Children’s own emotional state, family environment and the stage of childhood development reached influence their perception.

The abused then develops own dissociation defense mechanism to achieve emotional balance. Associated negativity, fear and anxiety are masked by newly developed emotional numbness and an imaginative involvement in ongoing sexual abuse gradually develops. As the time passes, frequency of sexual abuse increase and each episode gets more lengthened, more extensive, more aggressive and more invasive: The abused child’s helplessness is mistaken for compliance.

Post traumatic stress disorder

Reenactment of the traumatic event.

May totally avoid talking, people, places and activities that remind them of sex.

Possible psycho social impact on the victim of child sexual abuse are far too many. The abused child could therefore be easily mistaken for one of the childhood psychiatry disorders, thereby missing the true diagnosis totally.

I will therefore sincerely request all involved with child care to consider the possibility of sexual abuse in a child who appears to be in some way maladjusted or a case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or bipolar mood disorders.

Positive and unequivocal support from parents, teachers and other vigilant adults helps faster recovery and minimizes lifelong ill effects on the abused children’s psycho social development, diminishes their predilection for further victimization - even in adulthood, and breaks the cycle of the abused to the perpetrator for most child sexual abusers were once abused themselves.

It would be wise to opt for professional care and counseling to prevent long term ill effect on the abused child’s quality of life.